2021 – a year in review: Looking ahead to 2022

PDP_Happy New Year 2022

As 2021 draws to a close, Richard Pigott, Director of Planning & Design Practice looks back to review what has certainly been an interesting year, and looks ahead to the opportunities of 2022.

It’s been another eventful year in the world of the built environment and, closer to home, for Planning & Design itself. The appetite to develop land and buildings or, for many people, make better use of what we have has led to continued strong demand for planning and architectural services.

The Planning White Paper, published in August 2020, promised the biggest shake-up of the planning system since the Second World War. However, there has been a re-think following the Tories’ Chesham and Amersham by-election defeat where planning dominated the campaign, with the electorate concerned that the proposed changes would make the planning system less democratic with less opportunities for communities to participate. There is a general consensus that the system needs to change but a good place to start would be to better fund local planning departments. They have struggled to cope with the perfect storm of ever-tightening purse strings, Covid-related impacts on working schedules and practices and a significant upturn in numbers of planning applications, meaning decision timescales are impossible to predict.

After the pandemic in 2020 (and, alas, this seemingly never-ending story has a few more chapters to run), perhaps the biggest news story of 2021 has been the climate emergency. Whilst we, in the UK, are not on the frontline of extreme weather it is affecting our lives right here, right now. The debate reached a fever pitch when the UK hosted the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in the autumn. But how did the conference perform? Is 1.5 (degrees) still alive? And do we now have reason to be optimistic on climate change? According to the general consensus, some significant gains were made but they were not as game changing as many hoped for. This is perhaps not surprising when the leaders of two of the biggest emitters, China and Russia, did not even attend the conference. As COP26 drew to a close, warming of under 2 degrees is potentially in reach, and almost 90 per cent of global emissions are now covered by a net-zero target.

At a policy level, whilst some local planning authorities are adopting their own supplementary planning documents on tackling climate change, Local Plans are often weak or sometimes even silent on the matter and its disappointing to see how little the revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) addressed the climate emergency when it was published in July. This is out of step with public opinion – latest opinion polling by Opinium shows that 66% of people are in favour of connecting planning rules to climate change targets, so that all new development needs to pass tests to make sure they are environmentally friendly. Furthermore, first-hand experience tells me that local councillors are now considering the issue in virtually every decision they make. So, there are clear signs that the political will to ‘do something’ at the local level is gathering momentum even where the policy justification lags behind.

On another positive note, the Environment Act 2021 has recently been passed into law and this will, amongst many other things, from November 2023 require all planning permissions larger than householder permissions to deliver 10% biodiversity net gains (BNG) in as part of the overall development. If there is no scope to provide the relevant net gains on-site, then developers will be able to deliver off-site compensation through local habitat creation.

Again, many local authorities are not prepared to wait another 2 years for this to happen and we are encouraging our clients to deliver 10% BNG wherever possible.

For PDP, we have had an eventful year and more details can be found on the News page on our website. Particular highlights for me include the successful appeal for the extension to Denby Hall Business Park. This was a lengthy public inquiry, and we were able to demonstrate that very special circumstances did exist for development within the Green Belt, including the economic benefits of significant job creation and retention. At Ashbourne Airfield, work on the construction of the new link road is nearly complete, paving the way for the development of around 8 hectares of employment land and hundreds of new homes in phase 1 alone. Also, on the outskirts of Ashbourne, Callow Hall opened its doors again following a £7 million investment which we helped to achieve planning consent on over 2-3 years. Such has been the success of the project that it was awarded the Sunday Times Hotel of the Year for 2021.

On the subject of awards, we were thrilled to be Highly Commended in the recent RTPI East Midlands Awards for Excellence in Planning Delivery 2021 for our work on the Chase Farm scheme in Ambergate. A trio of our clients – Wildhive, Chevin Homes and Morley Hayes were also celebrating awards successes; the first venture for Wildhive, Derbyshire hotel Callow Hall was crowned the UK’s best place to stay by Sunday Times, Chevin Homes won ‘Residential Development of the Year’ at the East Midlands Business Link ‘Brick Awards’ 2021 for Chase Farm, and Morley Hayes carried away two awards at the 13th Derby Food and Drink Awards.

We can also celebrate the continued growth of the architectural team, reinforcing our ability to offer the complete service from concept to completion on a range of projects including bespoke Class Q barn conversions, city centre office-to-residential conversions and large-scale new housing schemes. The Sheffield office also continues to grow and consolidate its position within the Yorkshire region.

Looking towards 2022, lets hope for something a little more ‘normal’, whatever that means. We will continue to strive for ever more sustainable development and hope to see many of you in person over the next 12 months. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Richard Pigott, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Preserving the past – planning a sustainable future for Elvaston Castle

PDP_Elvaston Castle

Following the recent release of plans detailing the future of Elvaston Castle and Country Park, Planning & Design Practice Ltd are pleased to announce that they have been appointed as Heritage Planning Consultants for the ambitious redevelopment project. The proposed £35 million restoration and transformation of the in the 321-acre Derbyshire estate by Elvaston Castle and Garden Trust, in partnership with Derbyshire County Council will include its many listed buildings and historic features.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas. We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and Derby City Centre, with clients including John Smedleys Ltd, Meadowview Homes, and Staton Young Group.

Our team includes Director Jon Millhouse, a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) who specialises in heritage planning and our architectural team leader Lindsay Cruddas who is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect, of which there are only of which there are currently only 130 in the country.

Jon Millhouse said, “We are pleased to have been invited to contribute to this exciting and worthwhile project, which seeks to secure a sustainable future for one of Derbyshire’s most valuable heritage sites.”

The regeneration of the site, which will remain a free at the point of entry country park, will help to create more than 170 new jobs and is expected to increase the number of visitors from its current 240,000 a year.

The funding for the project will come from a mix of public and private investment, including bids to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and substantial investment from the county council itself.

Elvaston Castle, a gothic revival masterpiece lies at the heart of approximately 321 acres of open parkland, woodland and more formal historical gardens. Designed by James Wyatt in the early 1800s and based on the original house dating back to 1633, it was once the home of the Earls of Harrington. However, the Stanhope family left after the end of the Second World War, and Derbyshire County Council then rescued the site in the 1960s, saving it from development for mining and in 1970 the estate was opened as one of the first country parks in England.

Today both the buildings and gardens are registered (Grade 2 and Grade 2*) as being of special architectural and historical interest. Within the estate, structures such as the recently renovated golden gates, Moorish temple and ha-ha wall provide fascinating insights into the past.

Subject to planning permission, the proposed developments include bringing many of the historic buildings back into use as retail, office and workshop space or holiday cottages.

The upper floor of the castle itself would be turned into suites, with the potential to be hired out for weddings and other events. Other upgrades include a new main cafe, adventure playground and improved camping facilities.

The potential for repurposing these heritage assets to make them commercially viable for the 21st century and beyond, whilst retaining their unique character is something with which Planning & Design has great experience.

The county council intends that the day-to-day running of the estate will be managed by the Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust (ECGT).

Trust chairman Dr Peter Robinson said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity and the thoughts and ideas contributed by locals and the wider Derbyshire community have been invaluable in shaping this plan.

“Like many people, I love Elvaston and visit frequently with family and friends.

“We have five years of hard work in front of us, but we’re determined to bring the castle, gardens and wider parkland back to life.”

Re-make, Re-model: The Reuse of existing buildings

PDP_Reuse Buildings

With the high emphasis for new construction to be zero carbon, Lindsay Cruddas, a RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect looks at how we should refocus and look at the reuse of buildings and retrofitting them to better uses.

Carbon neutral by 2050, can it be achieved? We tried to get there for 2016 and failed, the government extended the target by a long shot. But did you realise that most of the buildings we will have by 2050 already exist. When you really think about it, it is obvious that most of the buildings are already built, but with such a high emphasis on new construction meeting zero carbon, we should refocus and look at reusing buildings and retrofitting them to better uses.

Recently it was reported that Lichfield Cathedral had been used to meet the demand for a Covid Vaccination Centre. A central community hub which has served its parishioners for centuries taking on a temporary new use to meet the current demand. Some out of the box thinking there and an excellent use for the Cathedral which hasn’t had much use the last 11 months.

In our practice we often work with farmers and building owners to redevelop their barn into a family home or convert a listed building into an office space. The changing dynamic of our high street with many shops becoming empty need to be thought through too. Could we introduce more homes into the City Centre or create live work units which were capable to adapt to short term tenancies and changes in business demand? Live work units were once the heart of the City Centre with shopkeepers living above their store.

In recent years we have worked with building owners to convert a former nightclub back into Office space on Victoria Street, Derby. It has brought more life into this street and restored a listed building back to its original use. We worked with an estate in Matlock to return a building which had been used for estate offices back into a residential dwelling. Often returning the buildings use into its original built purpose is the most logical and least invasive option.

Nationally large-scale imaginative reuses of buildings can be seen through the Pitcher & Piano in Nottingham, the reuse of a redundant church, which proves a popular destination for a cocktail or two and Tate Modern in London, a modern art gallery in the former Bankside Power Station.

This leads us nicely back to Derby and the Assembly Rooms; can we protect the building and find new uses for our current living requirements?

Lindsay Cruddas, RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Lindsay is a Chartered Architect who joined the Planning & Design Practice in January 2015.

Lindsay qualified as a RIBA Chartered Architect in 2012, after receiving her degrees in architecture at Leeds Metropolitan University, she has a specialist knowledge and interest in historic building conservation, reuse of redundant buildings and residential design. In 2018, Lindsay obtained accreditation to the RIBA Conservation Register as a Specialist Conservation Architect, of which there are currently only 141 in the country.

Reappraising brutalist architecture

PDP_Brutalist Architecture

Some of the finest examples of brutalist architecture in the north of England are at risk of being torn down, according to Simon Phipps, the photographer behind the book Brutal North, who believes a crucial part of the country’s architectural history could be lost in the process.

Lindsay Cruddas, a RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect from Planning & Design Practice Ltd shares her thoughts on this divisive architectural style, the factors involved in considering the listing and conservation of buildings and the role that the re-evaluation and re-use of Brutalist buildings can play in a zero carbon future.

Design is subjective and Brutalist Architecture isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, moons ago I would have also wondered why a derelict 1950s brutalist building isn’t being knocked down for redevelopment. However, opinions change and so does our perception of Heritage.

Victorian architecture was once new and the following generation wanted to tear it down to make way for new buildings, fortunately much of it survives today given the relatively slow turn around on buildings occupancy.

Brutalist architecture, which are largely constructed from concrete expanses of blank walls and dominating structures, were mainly used for large scale developments such as flats, universities, and public buildings. A favourite of mine is the Roger Stevens Building at the University of Leeds, the structure is of an impressive scale and connects several spaces together. The building is a central figure in the city campus and negotiates the change in levels of the site with a grand concrete staircase. The building was designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and built at the campus in the late 1960s. The striking façade expresses the ventilation services in concrete and internally the building uses ramped circulation to access the lecture theatres. The building was only listed in 2010 but because of its Significance it was Grade II* listed.

Conservation and listing of buildings is dependent on several factors of why a place is importance and what is its significance. They are broken down into the following categories:

  • Evidential value: the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity.
  • Historical value: the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present – it tends to be illustrative or associative.
  • Aesthetic value: the ways in which people draw sensory and intellectual stimulation from a place.
  • Communal value: the meanings of a place for the people who relate to it, or for whom it figures in their collective experience or memory.

As we move further into the 21st Century, some of these buildings are now 50-70 years old, they are the next stage of our architectural history. Of course, not every single brutalist building deserves to be listed however they do deserve a second chance. Take Park Hill in Sheffield, it was in a dilapidated state until recent years and now it has been refurbished into office space, a nursery, residential and student accommodation. The building has had a new lease of life and is a vibrant area of Sheffield once again.

Locally Derby Assembly Rooms could be listed to help secure its future. The building has Aesthetic value in its striking appearance with expanse of concrete and domineering stature. The building has communal value, for may people the building will be known for concerts and performances and the annual Derby Young Farmers Ball.

As a nation we wanted to be carbon zero by 2016, which was never going to be achievable, but part of our future is the reuse of existing buildings. The sensitive restoration and imaginative adaptation to these brutalist buildings could assist in the carbon zero goal as well as retaining a key part of our architectural history.

Lindsay Cruddas, Specialist Conservation Architect, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Planning Design recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas. We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and design team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your particular building or project.

Summer house consent in Conservation Area

PDP_Summerhouse Consent

Planning & Design Practice Ltd have recently gained planning permission for a new summer house, within the grounds of a substantial Victorian residence in Carsington, within the Derbyshire Dales.

The site is within the Carsington and Hopton Conservation Area and previous design attempts by other agents had failed to meet the strict design criteria of this historic village.

The Carsington and Hopton Conservation Area, was designated in 1971 with the boundary extended again in 1994. In 2008/9 a comprehensive Character Appraisal was undertaken with a Draft Appraisal produced in May 2009. The Appraisal considered the special qualities and interests of the Conservation Area including its archaeological significance, the architectural and historic quality of the buildings, the relationship of the buildings and spaces, the landscape and the setting of the conservation area and the negative and neutral factors affecting the area.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd prepared a revised scheme for the summer house, consisting of an oak frame construction, built upon a solid plinth of Birchover stone. The traditional gabled roof is to be covered with lead, a reference to the ancient settlement of Lutudarum near Carsington, the administrative centre for the Roman Empire’s lead mining operations. To maximise sunlight within the summerhouse, vaulted, thin steel framed windows are to be used, set within the oak frame.

The revised design was found to be appropriately subservient yet of a high quality design as befits the Conservation Area. We look forward to seeing the scheme completed.

At Planning & Design Practice Ltd we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.

We have the in-house expertise to ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites, and we use our experience to provide the right level of detail to accompany applications for planning permission and listed building consent.

We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and architectural team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.

For more information or to discuss your project or property, please get in touch.

Building on our International Architectural Expertise

PDP_Achitectural Team

Planning & Design Practice Ltd are excited to announce new additions to its architectural team, as we look beyond lock down, embrace the “new normal” and the opportunities that this may present for our homes, high streets and workplaces.

Our approachable and experienced team comprises architects, architectural assistants, designers and technicians. Our architects have true international expertise having worked on large scale projects in Russia, Germany, Spain and the United States as well as across the UK.

We offer a comprehensive design service through all the RIBA work stages from concept through to completion.

Planning Design believe in good architecture, to improve our quality of life, create real value and to drive sustainable development, creating robust, resilient homes and buildings to face the challenges of climate change.

Joining our team is Senior Architect Siegfried Doering (Dipl.-Ing. Architecture, AKH, ARB, RIBA). Prior to Planning & Design Siegfried was Senior Architect/Project Design Manager as part of a team of 25 architects and engineers, and also Quality Manager in the department for a company offering technically sophisticated and customized infrastructure, mobility and transport solutions internationally.

Siegfried’s personal philosophy is to practise and understand architecture as a creative compromise between budget, function, quality and aesthetics – all tailored to the client’s needs.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design said:

“We are pleased that Siegfried has joined an expanded architectural team at Planning Design. He is an experienced architect with 35 years of professional practice working in the UK, Middle East and Europe including Germany, and Russia. He has worked on an enormous variety of projects from single dwellings, apartment blocks, conservation, education, care homes, office buildings, data centres, industrial, retail, and railway infrastructure through to major logistics centres and has the on-site experience that will ensure that projects can be delivered on time and on budget.

His experience and professionalism will be invaluable to our collaborative team and to our clients and will allow us to deliver a wider range of architectural projects here in the UK. His appointment is part of our ambition to create a leading architectural practice which combines the skills of a the conservation architect, the knowledge of low carbon design, the flair of creative minds and the practical experience of delivering projects at any scale. We believe that our mix of skills and experience sets us apart from other practices here in the Midlands and South Yorkshire in delivering both excellence and creativity.”

Also joining Planning Design, we are pleased to welcome Architectural Technologist Joseph Cattmull. Studying the built environment at Cambridge Regional College and then graduating from The University of Derby in the summer of 2018, Joseph brings an interest in listed and traditional architecture and how they can be modernised.

Siegfried and Joseph join a team that includes Lindsay Cruddas, a RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect, of which there are currently only 122 in the country. In addition they join ARB registered architect Fernando Collado Lopez, who qualified at the higher School of Architecture in Seville and also studied at the Fakultät für Architektur und Landschaft in Hannover, Germany and Part II Architectural Assistant Tina Humphreys, a graduate of De Montfort University in Leicester with a Master’s in Architecture, and who is now working towards becoming an RIBA Chartered Architect.

At Planning Design we believe that good design is a crucial part of the planning process. Getting the design of a project right is critical to gaining a successful planning consent and avoiding unnecessary delay and costs.

Our team of RIBA Chartered Architects and Architectural Assistants have a wealth of experience working with homeowners, developers and the public sector, both here in the UK, across Europe and the United States.

We can help you to establish your brief and work through your design ideas, whilst bringing solutions to make your building a successful place to live or work in.

Our architectural team are based across Derby, Matlock, Macclesfield and Sheffield. For more information, or to discuss your dream project please get in touch.

Top Image: Bespoke New Dwelling, Darley Dale, Matlock

Heritage Open Days Celebrate 25th Anniversary

PDP_Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,000 organisations, 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers. Every year in September, places across the country throw open their doors to celebrate their heritage, community and history. It’s a great chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – and it’s all free, including a number of sites that usually charge an admission.

Heritage Open Days 2019 will be from 13-22 September.

Established in 1994, Heritage Open Days is England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, having grown into the country’s largest heritage festival.

In fact with over 5,700 events, 2019 is officially the biggest year yet, with over 3 million visitors expected to take part across the 10 days of the festival. To celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary, 25 new places are opening their doors, from country houses, museum archives and gardens, to theatres, wildlife reserves, distilleries and even a solar farm.

Heritage Open Days is coordinated and promoted nationally by the National Trust with support from the People’s Postcode Lottery, and is run locally by a large range of organisations (including civic societies, heritage organisations, and local councils, community champions and thousands of enthusiastic volunteers).

Highlights for 2019 include the Vajrapani Kadampa Buddhist Centre in Huddersfield where visitors have an opportunity to join a short meditation session with the resident teacher, the chance to take a tour of one of the few remaining Brutalist offices in Newcastle, Commercial Union House and a behind the scenes tour of the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, one of the filming locations for the Blockbuster ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ film.

Closer to home there is a chance to visit St Thomas Church in Pear Tree Derby. Designed by the London-based architect Joseph Peacock in the neo Norman style, and opened in 1881, there are stunning mosaics and a gallery of stained glass windows by different designers to be seen.

With its roots dating back to 1852, W. W. Winter’s photography studio is the oldest running photo studio business in the UK, and has been operating continuously on the same site at 45 Midland Road, Derby since 1867.

Last but by no means least there is a the chance to walk on the wrought iron Bennerley Viaduct some 60 feet above the Erewash Valley. As well as enjoying the magnificent views, there is the opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of this “Iron Giant”.

To find out about more open days near you please visit: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

At Planning & Design we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.

We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and design team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.

We use our experience to provide the right level of detail to accompany applications for planning permission and listed building consent.

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